Model of the 1957 in Greenwich Museum link

[uk 75]

http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/explore/object.cfm?ID=SLR1693

The NMM has this model of the 1957 cruiser design on display, as well as a simple
minesweeper and 1985 frigate.

Now if we can only persuade them to dig out their model of the nuclear RFA design
which they listed some years back

 

[garry]

Nice thanks for the link going to model one these for a long time. Hoping new cruiser book will have more info

 

[JFC Fuller]

Outstanding find, uk75! Thank you for posting!

The model really shows the complexity of the design, note that every gun turret appears to have its own MRS-3 director!

 

[phil gollin]

Thanks - a very good "find" - I can see me spending some time on that site.

 

[Thorvic]

It appears to be the GW-96A Heavy Cruiser, which was the last of the post war RN cruiser designs before focus switched onto Guided Missile Destroyers and Air Capable Escort Cruisers. Friedmans new book on British Cruisers mentioned that they did look at alternate Guided Missile systems instead of Sea Slug, including Terrier Or Talos.

 

[Thorvic]

Also illustrated in Vanguard to Trident and Warship 2006

Plus in "Rebuilding the Royal Navy", ironically the British Cruiser book only has a couple of smallish drawings of the various GW designs, probably becuase they have already been illustrated elsewhere, but it does reduce the overall impact on the guided missile cruiser chapter. (There are more detailed Escort cruiser drawings, but all of these are of the Seaslug armed version rather than the Sea Dart one UK75 was hoping for).

 

[JFC Fuller]

Thorvic,

I wish you had not told me that! I was hoping for more guided missile goodness, but it sounds like it does not offer much more than rebuilding the Royal Navy in that area.

 

[Thorvic]

Oh it does cover it in the text, but they haven't focused on it in the drawings as other have done, it also cover the export proposals and the escort cruiser quite well, but yes i was expecting to see some detailled Dave Baker views of the GW design series.

 

[uk 75]

I understand that this book focuses more on the earlier ships and thus does not provide any new info on two of my

areas of interest:

Escort cruiser designs after Seaslug, especially the version nearly ordered in 1962.

Cruiser development after 1957, especially the missile ships with post-Seaslug systems

Does the new book add anything much to Friedman's postwar royal navy book (out of print, but well worth
tracking down) and the Brown-Moore rebuilding the Royal Navy?

I shall continue to wait and hope that someone like Damien (TSR 2) Burke will come along and satisfy my
curiosity on this 60s period with all its fun stuff in real depth (line drawings, good artwork, etc)

UK 75

 

[starviking]

it also cover the export proposals

Are we talking second-hand cruisers to (presumably) some South American country, or actual new-design cruisers with the export market in mind?

 

[Thorvic]

it also cover the export proposals

Are we talking second-hand cruisers to (presumably) some South American country, or actual new-design cruisers with the export market in mind?

New designs, quite different to the RN cruisers, more akin to Sweedish or Dutch cruisers

 

[uk 75]

Sealord very helpful. I have ordered as F books are always a detailed read. Still want the 62 seadart c drawn tho

 

[Thorvic]

Sealord very helpful. I have ordered as F books are always a detailed read. Still want the 62 seadart c drawn tho

Hi Ralph

The text in the book pretty much indicates that whilst there are general description in the files of some of the later versions, unfortunately not drawings were saved with the file when the paperwork is archived. Therefore there are no detailed descriptions or illustrations for the artists to use so any attempt would be purely fictional based on best gueses. Its a shame, but thats how it goes.

The alternative 1960/61 designs are quite interesting none the less, the only way to to get an approximation would be to provide an artist or shipbucket addict, with the description, samples of the 1961 design, the 1963 CVA-01 artist impressions and the later 1966 escort carrier designs to create a best guess illustration

Cheers

Geoff

 

[Grey Havoc]

It appears to be the GW-96A Heavy Cruiser, which was the last of the post war RN cruiser designs before focus switched onto Guided Missile Destroyers and Air Capable Escort Cruisers. Friedmans new book on British Cruisers mentioned that they did look at alternate Guided Missile systems instead of Sea Slug, including Terrier Or Talos.

Here are the pictures and text from the RMG website, just in case it's ever taken down for some reason:

Warship; Cruiser, Guided missile


Object details:




Object ID SLR1693



Description Undetermined scale. This is a model at its most utilitarian and represents a design concept for a Royal Naval guided-missile cruiser (circa 1957),
commissioned by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). Even in these days of sophisticated computer-aided design modelling, ‘real’ models can convey
design information more easily than two-dimensional drawings on paper or a screen. The making of design models like this one is a tradition in
shipbuilding that, in Britain, can be traced back over 300 years. This model is an early design concept produced to put forward ideas and promote
discussion about features such as superstructure layout, and type and placing of armament. The MOD initiated a series of design studies around 1948
for ships that might be in service in around ten years' time, and they became known as ‘1960 cruisers’. The model most closely resembles the ‘1960
Large Cruiser design’, which was missile-armed, though its twin funnels and general layout is also similar to the three ‘Tiger’-class
cruisers, ‘Tiger’, ‘Lion’, and ‘Blake’, that were launched in 1944-45 but not finally completed to a new design until 1959, 1960 and 1961 respectively.



Date made circa 1957


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Artist/Maker Unknown




Credit National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London



Materials metal: brass; metal; paint; wood



Measurements Overall model and case: 307 x 1242 x 220 mm



NOTE: Original image ids [Repro ID]: in order: D1174_1 , D1174_2 , L0419-001 , L0419-002

EDIT: Having trouble attaching pics, will try again later.